Various embodiments of systems, apparatus, and/or methods are described for enhanced responsiveness in responding to an emergency situation using unmanned aerial vehicles (drones). Drones are fully autonomous in that they are operated without human intervention from a pilot, an operator, or other personnel. The disclosed drone utilizes movable access doors to provide the capability of vertically takeoff and landing. The drone also includes an emergency recovery system including a mechanism to deploy a parachute in an event of a failure of the on-board autopilot. Also disclosed herein is a drone port that provides an IR-based docking mechanism for precision landing of the drone, with a very low margin of error. Additionally, the drone port includes pads that provide automatic charge to the drone's batteries by contact-based charging via the drone's landing gear legs.

A ground station for aerial vehicles including a protective casing; at least one charging mechanism; and an extendable landing pad. The extended landing pad is operable to transition between a closed configuration having dimensions suitable to be contained within said protective casing, and an open configuration having dimensions suitable to land the aerial vehicle.

A heliport docking system provides automated transport, fueling, maintenance, and logistical management of VTOLs. The heliport docking system can include a plurality of helipads that can be autonomously transported from area-to-area to assist in the logistics of heliport management and control. The helipad system can include a surface on which a VTOL can land and a controller that can perform functions related to routing, maintenance, object detection, and transport, among others. The helipad system can releasably secure the VTOL to the helipad and transport the VTOL to different areas of the heliport system. The helipad system can also fuel the VTOL by providing, electricity, combustible fuel, or other suitable energy source, and perform a maintenance check of the VTOL and create maintenance crew of any VTOL irregularities.

A packaging system for a plurality of drones is disclosed herein. The packaging system is designed for drones, which include a plurality of downward facing propellers and a drone body configured operatively below the plurality of downward facing propellers in a downwardly extending configuration. The packaging system comprises a primary container; and a plurality of secondary containers for holding ten of the drones therein, wherein the secondary containers have dimensions for facilitating accommodation of nine of the secondary containers in the primary container.

Disclosed is an alkyd or hydrocarbon resin-based pre-manufactured thermoplastic airport runway signage that is applied in relatively large sections onto an airport runway where the alkyd or hydrocarbon resin-based composite includes a functionalized wax incorporated in the resin-based composite within the range of 0.2 to 3 percent by weight, thereby allowing the resin-based composite to exist in a molten state within a viscosity range of between 35,000 and 85,000 centipoise and wherein the top surface provides an area for surface indicia materials existing on the top surface together with retroreflective glass beads with an index of refraction of 1.9 such that when the beads are suspended in and applied on the surface of the resin-based composite in a molten state the beads do not sink into the resin-based composite provide for allowing and maintaining an overall retroreflectivity of about 1000 millicandellas/m.sup.2/lux (mcd).

Disclosed is an alkyd or hydrocarbon resin-based pre-manufactured thermoplastic airport runway signage that is applied in relatively large sections onto an airport runway where the alkyd or hydrocarbon resin-based composite includes a functionalized wax incorporated in the resin-based composite within the range of 0.2 to 3 percent by weight, thereby allowing the resin-based composite to exist in a molten state within a viscosity range of between 35,000 and 85,000 centipoise and wherein the top surface provides an area for surface indicia materials existing on the top surface together with retroreflective glass beads with an index of refraction of 1.9 such that when the beads are suspended in and applied on the surface of the resin-based composite in a molten state the beads do not sink into the resin-based composite provide for allowing and maintaining an overall retroreflectivity of about 1000 millicandellas/m.sup.2/lux (mcd).

A unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) battery changing station includes a UAV landing area configured to support a UAV coupled to a first battery when the UAV is resting on the battery changing station, a movable battery storage unit including a holding station configured to store a second battery, and a battery replacement member configured to retrieve the second battery from the holding station and couple the second battery to the UAV. The movable battery storage unit is configured to permit the holding station to rotate about an axis of rotation.

A portable device for holding and carrying an unmanned aerial vehicle (“UAV”) includes a body. The body includes a first holding member configured to hold the UAV and having a shape matching a shape of the UAV. The portable device also includes a charging board disposed in the body. The portable device also includes a first charging station disposed in the first holding member and configured to electrically connect with the charging board for charging the UAV. The portable device further includes at least one second charging station disposed on the body and configured to electrically connect with the charging board for charging at least one battery.

There is provided methods and systems for controlling airplane taxiing, including detecting aerodrome taxiway lines and estimating cross-track error.

A runway arrangement comprising: a first runway section (202-1) designated as a landing runway section; a second runway section (202-2) designated as a take-off runway section; and a sterile safety area (210); wherein the first and second runway sections are linked by the sterile safety area (210); the runway arrangement comprising a missed approach point for aircraft due to land on the first runway section, displaced from the start of the second runway section (202-2) by a distance greater than H/tan θ.sub.1; where H is a safe turning height and θ.sub.1 is an angle of ascent following a missed approach; wherein H is greater than 150 m and θ.sub.1 is greater than 2°.